"The number of illegal armed groups stating their commitment to accepting and complying with ceasefire terms has grown to 52," said the report posted on the website of the Russian Defense Ministry

MOSCOW, April 25./TASS/. A ceasefire agreement has been signed with a settlement in Syrian Homs province in the past 24 hours, bringing the number of settlements joining the reconciliation process to 72, an information bulletin of the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria said on Monday.

"An agreement on cessation of hostilities was signed in Damascus province with a representative of armed units numbering more than 500 people. The number of illegal armed groups stating their commitment to accepting and complying with ceasefire terms has grown to 52," said the report posted on the website of the Russian Defense Ministry.

Ceasefire in Syria

Ceasefire in Syria has been generally observed, with nine violations reported in the past day, namely four - in the province of Damascus, four - in the province of Latakia, and one - in the province of Aleppo.

In the province of Latakia, gunmen from the Ahrar ash-Sham group which aligns itself with the opposition shelled the settlements of Sandran, Rasha, Safar and Shmaisa from multiple missile launcher systems and mortars.

Gunmen of another opposition group, Jaysh al-Islam, shelled from mortars a military hospital in the settlement of Harasta and positions of government forces in the settlements of Jobar, Marj al-Sultan and Arbil in the province of Damascus.

After preliminary bombardment, Ahrar ash-Sham gunmen made an attempt at an offensive against the Syrian army near Mount Jabal-Agam south of Aleppo. The offensive was repelled and the gunmen retreated to their initial positions having sustained losses.

No air strikes were delivered by the Russian air group and the Syrian air force at armed opposition group which have declared cessation of hostilities and referred their coordinates to the Russian or U.S. reconciliation centers, the bulletin says.

According to information reported to the Russian reconciliation center from local residents, the Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist group (outlawed in Russia) continues to concentrate its forces in northeastern regions of the province of Latakia, the bulletin says.

Apart from that, the city of Fua in the province of Idlib twice came under mortar, the Russian center said.

Turkey’s artillery shelled positions of the Syrian government forces from the vicinity of the settlement of Aluichak. No retaliation fire at the Turkish artillery positions followed, the Russian center said.

A ceasefire regime brokered by Russia and the United States on February 22 officially came into effect in Syria at midnight Damascus time on February 27. This does not cover terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, both outlawed in Russia, and other groups recognized as terrorist by the United Nations Security Council.

An hour before the ceasefire came into force, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution in support cessation of hostilities in Syria. The document was initiated by Russia and the United States and won support from all the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council.

Humanitarian convoys

More than 20 tons of food products were delivered with the use of Russian parachute platforms to the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor besieged by Islamic State gunmen.

"Humanitarian convoys are being formed for people living in two settlements in the province of Hama and Syrian citizens temporarily accommodated in center for internally displaced persons in the province of Latakia," the bulletin says.

Repair works were continued in the city of Al-Qaratayn in the province of Homs. A total of 12 meters of streets were cleared from debris and one building was restored, the center said.

Mine pickers demined 100 meters of roads and removed four land mines planted by retreating terrorists.

A ceasefire regime brokered by Russia and the United States on February 22 officially came into effect in Syria at midnight Damascus time on February 27. This does not cover terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, both outlawed in Russia, and other groups recognized as terrorist by the United Nations Security Council.

An hour before the ceasefire came into force, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution in support cessation of hostilities in Syria. The document was initiated by Russia and the United States and won support from all the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council.